medicare

hi all,

what does medicare include, we are a family of 5 and are wondering whether or not to get private health care, we are aware that in vic we should have ambulance insurance, but what do we need health insurance for other than that,

any info would be helpfull, and costs on private health care would be great also

Thanks All

Tracey

Hi There,

we are in Melbourne (I was originally from Ilford), Ambulance cover is a must, Medicare will cover you for most problems, TAC payment with car registration covers any car accident expenses. Like UK private healthcare speeds things up a bit. We do not have private cover. Private cover can also cost you for some treatments that are free under medicare. Dental treatment is amongst the most expensive in the world!!, get your teeth fixed before you come.Medicare can be bit of a pain(no pun intended) and private can help you get treatment quicker, in more comfortable surroundings but the treatment is generally the same.

Hope that helps.

If you can afford it, get it, it you can't it's OK.

hi all,

 

what does medicare include, we are a family of 5 and are wondering whether or not to get private health care, we are aware that in vic we should have ambulance insurance, but what do we need health insurance for other than that,

 

any info would be helpfull, and costs on private health care would be great also

 

Thanks All

Tracey

Medicare covers most medical problems, But not dental or opticians. Ambulance cover in most states is a must. i do not have insurance and my wife has been seen by hospital consultant with no problems. If you choose a GP who charges for consutations then you get some of the cost back from medicare, some doctors "bulk bill" that means they charge the government and not you for your visit.

If you are in a very well paid job it can actually save on your tax bill by taking out medical insurance.

Medicare covers most medical problems, But not dental or opticians. Ambulance cover in most states is a must. i do not have insurance and my wife has been seen by hospital consultant with no problems. If you choose a GP who charges for consutations then you get some of the cost back from medicare, some doctors "bulk bill" that means they charge the government and not you for your visit.

 

If you are in a very well paid job it can actually save on your tax bill by taking out medical insurance.

Thanks for you reply, what does well paid mean in oz and how and why does it help what can you claim back, is this in employment or self employed or both,

again thanks

Tracey

Over $73000 for individuals or $140000 - ish for couples, you get pinged an extra 1% tax if you don't have private at that point. Often large companies will subsidise your cover, my OH's got 50% coverage from Rio Tinto which does the whole family.

What you get depends on the extras you choose, I go for chiropractic and acupuncture type things, but not glasses or hip replacment things. You do't have to take a generic cover, generally you can fashion them to cover things you need and not the other bits. Try looking up Iselect and putting in your needs.

If you're not moving to a major city don't go with one of the smaller coverers as often there's not an office in more regional areas and it's a pain in the backside trying to claim stuff back then.

This is the official information page for Medicare -

About Medicare - Medicare Australia

There is a link on it to a separate page showing exactly which services Medicare does and does not cover.

We had ambulance, optical and dental initially, got stung for the 1% tax levy and paid about $900.